A Day in the Life of a Fool
by VeryValerie
Summary: This is basically an original short story(perhaps series) inspired by the Twilight Zone. Now I assure you folks that NONE of this is plagiarized by the actual Twilight Zone stories, I actually had to fabricate something decent from my noodle. So I can't tell you a great description of it since they're always changing, so I guess you'll just have to read to find out...


Chapter 1: A day in the life of a Fool

Henry turned on the lights in the hall to illuminate his path. His strides were long and steady; he could already feel his age catching up to him. At the age of 67 he lived alone as a former banker who made a name for himself in the business. He went from a happy-go-lucky boy to a persuasive, powerful, and passionate man of his work. But alone in his desolate mansion, he was just some old and tired man, just waiting for an opportunity to knock on his door.

When he finally reached the doorway of his bedroom, he looked around in the opulent comfort of it, from his king sized bed covered in a violet duvet, to the fine diamond crafted chandelier that hung above it. He looked at all of his possessions in apathy. Not a single one of them held value to him. He checked his watch; it was a quarter to 10 in the morning and the sun still hid behind the night sky. Already he was restful and decided to walk to work for the time being. Sprawled along the nitty-gritty streets of Los Angeles were dirty-faced hobos scrounging for their next meal. Their fingerless gloved hands that once held money now held dirt. Their stomachs once filled now empty. And their lives, once in lavish mansions were now in the pitiful comfort of their cardboard homes. Henry walked by them every day on his way to work and looked at them in disgust and pure disdain. On one occasion, a young boy within the group approached Henry, asking him for some loose change. On instinct Henry backed away from the boy as if he were a disease and called upon the boy's mother to get her son away from him. And just like that he went about his day as if nothing had happened. But today was different; none of the hobos were crying or talking as usual. If anything, they all bore the same sullen mask. Most of them just stayed in their cardboard boxes, raising a suspicion in Henry of whether they were conscious or not. But as usual Henry, brushed off any care and took a short cut through Rose Avenue to get to his beloved bank.

qWhen entering the bank, the first thing he noticed was the Smith family. They were the latest costumers who like the rest, couldn't afford their home and are putting it through foreclosure. And once Henry chimed through the door, their heads shot out to him and a ghost of a hopeful smile played on their faces.

"Mr. Henry! Please we ask for an extension to get a new job! You know how this great depression is, it's affecting all the jobs out here," Pled Mrs. Smith from her seat.

"Oh yes Mr. Henry. We hear that the construction industry is booming. Oh please sir, give us a chance to get back on our feet. Your eviction notice yesterday came so unexpectedly! " Interjected Mr. Smith.

Henry just looked down at this handsome couple. All he could think of was the great pleasure he had of feeling as if he were the decision maker, that he had the power to change a life for better or for worse. It made him feel like a god. But snapping out of his revere, he focused his attention back on the Smiths.

"Now Mr. Smith, I have no doubt in my mind that you would stand by your word of getting a new job and paying off your debt. But lets face it; you haven't paid your mortgages in nearly 10 months. So I am sorry to say that I will have to evict your house from you. Good day now." He shooed them off. But judging by the resentful look on their face mixed with an apparent look of rage, he knew they'd stick around. They always did.

"Now Mr. Henry you know that isn't fair! You can't just repossess our house so unexpectedly! Have you no sympathy man?" Mr. Smith yelled, causing a scene. Though it didn't bother Henry in the slightest, everyone knew that this was the type of reaction he got when he evicted people on a day-to-day basis.

"Security," he muttered, as two armed men escorted the ranting couple. Henry looked down on his desk to see his secretary Peggy Lee sitting cross-legged and watching the fiasco with the Smith couple arms folded.

"Mr. Henry, now wasn't that a bit too unfair? I mean really, they were really hopeful and they still have a baby girl at home who's only a year old. Now you don't want a baby to be raised on the streets right?"

"Mrs. Lee I see those kind of people all day on the way to work, it isn't my fault that their parents are no good, lazy people who can't hold down a job," he said.

Peggy snorted, "Well then Mr. Sour Puss, you have another client coming in at 4, you can leave now if you want."

Henry looked down at his watch; it was 1:28 in the afternoon.

"I guess I'll be going home now, I need an aspirin and a nap. These clients are driving me restless."

And with that Henry strolled out of the bank back to his home. Arriving at his mansion, he opened the grand door to his house and walked in to find a place to retire. He found a leather couch in one of his parlors next to his radio. While grabbing some medicine in his wooden cabinet, he turned up the radio to hear the latest economic reports. It was the usual reports that ranted on about this so called, 'Great Depression'. Taking a sip of his water he swallowed his aspirin whole and found himself dozing off to the reports of Teddy Roosevelt's new plan to break the depression with more jobs and smiled at the thought of his life. His life was luxurious with his lavish mansion and his great paying job. And despite the cruelty he used for his job, he knew that it was necessary. And with that thought he smiled as he allowed his eyelids to close. But before he could even let the haze of sleep consume him, he awoke to the sound of a disaster blaring from the radio

'OH MY IT SEEMS THAT AN EARTHQUAKE IS AMIDST AND WEATHER REPORTS STATE THAT IT WILL SIGNAL A TSUNAMI!' Yelled the announcer. Henry jumped at the announcement and listened wide eyed to the rest of the reports. But they all repeated the same fate, every station that he tuned into. And in a fear he ran out to his door to find that it was a sunny day. He felt for the ground beneath him but it was as steady as a rock. Looking around as if he were an insane man, he looked at the world outside of his mansion. All signs of any beings or movement within the day ceased. His neighbors weren't doing their usual routine of walking their dogs, watering their grass or just plain socializing with other neighbors. The wind that once blew through the autumn leaves fell silent. In shock he wondered if this radio was a joke. But every station was still blaring their grave reports on a supposed tsunami wiping everything out in its sight, consuming all of Los Angeles. He felt like a mad man as he groped for an answer to all this madness. For a little while, he repeated this routine of trying to rest but checking outside for confirmation. He checked his watch to find the hands missing. Surely he was going insane. Trying to drink the glass of water on his counter, he found that no matter how many gulps he drank it never quenched his thirst. But still the thought of water gave him the unsettling feeling about the supposed tsunami that was eminent and currently active.

"This is going on way too long. Somebody explain to me why this madness is plagued on me! Explain!" He yelled into the unknown. Not knowing that someone did hear it.

Emerging from the door, came Peggy Lee. Still cross-armed and wearing the same amused expression that she had at the bank.

"Peggy, what on earth are you doing hear? Can't you hear that there's a tsunami!" Henry yelled. But the only reaction he got was a laugh.

"Why Mr. Henry, I'd thought you were an intelligent man. Haven't you realized all of this? This tsunami isn't real. Well, metaphorically it is a sea of depression that everyone is washed over by time to time. But judging by the build up of depression and sorrow you inflict on other people, it's as large and raging as a tsunami."

Henry was fairly confused. "So are you saying that I'm dead? I mean, this is -"

"Unexpected? Unfair? Well, in your lifetime Mr. Henry, your main belief was that nothing in life was unexpected or unfair. Not even the repossessing of people's homes. So its only fair to repossess your life as well." She grinned.

~ THE END~

So...kind of a last minute made up story, not gonna get more into it so thats just it. And I promise this isn't stolen from a twilight zone episode or story, I'm just really inspired by the show and decided to make a story of my own similar to it. Hope you liked it :D


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